Attachment 1 - Questions and Answers.pdf

Attachment 1 - Questions and Answers - RFP # 72064121R00001

# Question Answer 1 Could you please tell me if the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation posted as solicitation number 72064121R00001 will be a follow-on requirement to any work performed currently or in the past, or will this be a new requirement?

This is a follow-on award to the Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP), a cooperative agreement awarded to University of Rhode Island.

2 Please can I kindly ask for clarification concerning whether it is possible for an organisation to apply as part of more than one consortium of implementing partners (for example, as part of two consortia/proposals with different entities as the lead implementing partner)?

It is confirmed that you may participate in more than one consortium of implementing partners in response to this application.

3 On page 2 of the RFP, USAID requires offerors to download and prepare the SF 33 from the GSA website. As offerors typically only fill in boxes 12-18 of the SF 33, and because an SF 33 includes proposal-specific information, would USAID please provide an SF 33 for this proposal? Alternatively, would USAID confirm that an offeror is expected to fill in only boxes 12–18 of the SF 33, and that all other boxes will be completed by USAID?

Please fill in only boxes 12-18 of the SF33, and all other boxes will be completed by USAID.

4 Related to Section B.5 on pages 9-10, the last sentence of the first paragraph states: “Ceilings are not applicable to Small Business Offerors or local organizations serving as a subcontractor.” Since in Section B.5, indirect rate ceilings are not requested for the prime or major subcontractors, can you confirm that this sentence was inadvertently included and should be removed?

This sentence was deleted from Section B.5.1. See revised RFP.

5 RFP Section H.4(a)(1) on page 40 requires salary ranges for all professional positions in the contract to be submitted with the proposal for approval. Would USAID please clarify in which section of the cost proposal the salary ranges should be provided?

Section H.4(a)(1) was updated to clarify this salary ranges must be maintained by the Contractor. Section L.7 was revised to provide instruction in section (m) on page 138 that the salary range and certification must be submitted as Annex J of the cost proposal. The list of Cost Volume Annexes includes Annex J on page 134.

6 RFP Section H.4(d), Consultants, on page 41 requires a consultant pay scale to be submitted with the proposal for approval. Would USAID please clarify in which section of the cost proposal the pay scale should be provided?

Section H.4(d) Consultants was updated to Section H.4(e), and clarifies that Pay Scales must be maintained by the Contractor. Secton L.7.3.9 was revised to provide instruction to submit its Pay Scale in Annex K of the cost proposal.

The list of the Cost Volume Annexes includes Annex K on page 134.

7 RFP Sections L.4(b), L.5.b(5), and L.6.a(2) and (3) on pages 127, 130, and 132, respectively, reference an Optional CLIN, but there is no budget ceiling/range, period of performance, or additional information concerning the Optional CLIN within the RFP. Would USAID please clarify whether an Optional CLIN is relevant for this project and, if so, provide more information so that offerors may include it in their technical and cost proposals?

The optional CLIN lanauge was removed from the RFP.

8 RFP Section L.4.k(5) on page 128 requests that Offerors submit the Technical and Cost Volumes as two attachments in one email. To ensure full separation of the Technical and Cost Volumes, would USAID please confirm that Offerors may submit them in separate emails?

Per the RFP, if not possible to send the Technical and Cost Volumes in one email as two attachments, Offerors must send the proposal through multiple emails and label whether the email relates to the Technical Volume or the Cost Volume.

9 On RFP page 129, Section L.5, the cover page project title is given as the Trade and Investment Activity. This appears to be a reference to a different activity. Would USAID please clarify?

This section was revised to state "Feed the Future Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity"

10 On RFP page 131, Section L.6, the RFP states that indicators will be presented in Section F, Deliveries or Performance. The RFP mentions Section F again on page 143, Section L.7.3.12, where it says, “The Offeror must propose a fee distribution schedule in a Fixed Fee Deliverable Table/Schedule that contains key deliverables described in Section F (‘key’ to be selected by the Offeror) and proposed performance outcome/results (Annex A of the Cost Volume).” Would USAID provide more detail on the format and requirements for including performance indicators within Section F, Deliveries or Performance?

Performance indicators must be included as a part of the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP), which must be submitted post award.

11 RFP Section L.7.3.2 (b, e, and j) on page 136 all mention budgeting by labor category several times. Would USAID please consider removing this language since this is a Cost Plus Fixed Fee Completion type contract, and there are no labor categories under this contracting mechanism?

Labor categories are critically necessary for both the technical and cost (realism) analyses required under Part 15. Just because labor categories are specifically used in the T&M/L-H contract definition of "Hourly Rate" does not mean or in any way imply that labor categories cannot or should not be specified in other types of contracts listed in Part 16.

12 RFP Section L.7.3.2 (a) on page 136 states, “The offeror must express unit costs for each proposed position as a salary rate corresponding to level of effort.” The following statement in Section L.7.3.2 (b) states all labor must be presented as labor categories/FSN level and not by named person. Since this is a Cost Plus Fixed Fee Completion type contract, would USAID please accept budgeting by proposed position tied to level of effort rather than by labor category?

See response to Question 11 above.

13 Section L.7.3.2 on pages 136 and 138, Section L.7.3.8 on page 140, and Section L.7.3.9 on page 141 refer to an Offeror’s approved Ceiling Daily Rates (CDRs). As this RFP has not been issued under an IDIQ and therefore does not have associated, approved CDRs, would USAID please remove all language related to CDRs?

Language was removed.

14 Regarding RFP Section L.7.3.8(b) on page 140, would USAID please confirm that the addition of the items in FAR 52.244- 2(e)(1) to the information to support Consent to Subcontract would satisfy this requirement?

Yes, including the requirements of FAR 52.244-2(e)(1) to the information to support Consent to Subcontract would satisfy this requirement. Page 140 of RFP Section L.7.3.8(b) was updated to include this guidance.

15 RFP Section L.7.3.12 on page 143 states that a fee is not expected on the indirect costs for sub-awards. Would USAID please confirm that offerors may apply a fee to subcontractor costs per their established practice?

The following was remove from RFP Section L.7.3.12: "It is not expected that the fee will be applied to other than direct costs for sub awards (i.e., not profit or indirect costs)."

16 Section L.8(a) on page 143 states, “The Government will consider performance-based payment financing terms proposed by the Offeror in the evaluation of the Offeror’s proposal.”

Section M does not mention performance-based payments.

Could USAID please clarify how the inclusion of performance-based payments might impact the evaluation of an Offeror’s proposal?

Section M.4(c) states the following: "USAID will conduct a cost evaluation to determine if the proposed costs are reasonable." This statement is inclusive of the evaluation of your proposed performance-based or fixed-fee payment schedule in accordance with the instructions contained in L.7.3.12.

17 RFP Sections L.11 and L.12 on page 146 are listed as requirements of the cost proposal; however, they are not included on the list of annexes for the budget narrative on page

135. Would USAID please clarify in which section of the cost proposal the Consent to Subcontract and Legislative Reporting Information should be provided?

These two requirements were added to the list of Annexes contained in Section L.7.

18 Would USAID please provide an exchange rate to use on this proposal?

https://www1.oanda.com/currency/converter/ Please use the above link to view rates, and use the rate listed on the RFP release date of January 5, 2021, which was $1 US Dollar (USD) = 5.84238 Ghanaian New Cedi (GHS).

19 Page 131, Section L.6.A (1). Result, the RFP states that “Specific deliverables, indicators, and tasks should not, however, be included in this section; they should instead be presented in Section F, Deliveries or Performance”.

a. Can USAID please clarify if the Reporting and Deliverable Matrix in F.7 should be included in technical volume per L.6.A or in the cost volume per L.7.1(b).iii (Annex A).

b. Can USAID also clarify where the indicators should be presented?

Question a: See addition of Annex G in the list of annexes to the Technical Volume. Offerors are expected to add newly proposed deliverables here.

Regarding Section L.7.3.12(b), please submit as Annex A of the Cost Volume, your proposed Fixed Fee Deliverable Table/Schedule. Your selected newly proposed deliverables are expected to be listed here as well.

Question b: See answer to Question 10 above.

20 Page 131, Section L.6 (1). States “The PWS must include the following sections, in the specified order, at a minimum,” please confirm that additional sections can be included in the PWS (i.e., in addition to Background, Objectives, Results, Services/Tasks Required).

Yes, you may include additional sections. As per the RFP, "at a minimum" you must include the section listed in Section L.6(1).

21 Page130, Section L.5 (6) Annex C. In our experience preparing Performance Work Statements and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans, a three page limit for a QASP will not enable enough space to adequately describe our approach and process for quality assurance and monitoring. We respectfully ask that USAID consider allowing for a five page maximum for the QASP.

USAID increased the page count to 5 pages.

22 Page 132, Section L.6.A (2). Can USAID clarify if the reference is intended to be section F.8 or F.7?

The reference for Section L.6(a)(2) was updated to state Section F.7.

23 Page 133, Section L.6.c, states “The offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide performance information for itself, the contractor teaming arrangements, if any, and each major subcontractor (one whose proposed cost exceeds 20% of the offeror’s total proposed cost) in accordance with the following:…Include up to five of the most recent (defined as performance within the past five years) and relevant contracts, task orders, grants, or cooperative agreements for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal”. Will USAID please confirm that offerors may submit up to five PPRs for a major subcontractor along with the five requested for the prime contractor?

Please only include a total of five references per proposal.

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